The Bluewater 450

boat test bluewater 450 When the sum is greater than the parts — the Bluewater 450 IN THIS REVIEW we take a look at a blue AY editor, Barry Henson, takes water cruising boat, a boat that is designed from the keel up to take you down the Bluewater 450 for a test sail the coast or across oceans with equal degrees of confidence—it’s the Bluewa- on Moreton Bay and discovers ter 450—and it’s made in Australia by Bluewater Yachts. a world-class Australian cruiser. The challenge with reviewing a semi- custom boat is that certain aspects of the design are determined by the client, others by the builder or designer. Try- ing to identify the source of features is not as easy as it sounds, so this review is of Charlie’s Dream, an execution of the Bluewater 450, rather than of the Blue- water 450 as a concept. The Design brief I always review each boat against criteria relevant for the designed use. Unfor- tunately, many boat builders try to por- tray their boat as all things to all people, i.e. ‘this boat will take your family safely around the world and put you first in your IRC division’. Hmmm. Will it make coffee and pay my bills as well? Thankfully, the Bluewater 450’s design brief is fairly straightforward; it’s ‘designed to provide its owners with an excellent offshore cruiser that could oc- casionally race around the buoys’. Still someone with an absolute passion for trying to hedge our bets a little, but his work. David sees each boat he pro- there’s no doubt that this is first and duces as an opportunity to make the foremost a bluewater cruiser, so I’m go- best boat possible. Then one day David ing to measure it against those criteria. met his match in a client, Peter Lewis, another perfectionist—a retired forensic pathologist and experienced sailor, who When perfectionist doesn’t do anything by halves. Having meets perfectionist two such personalities working on this project could have doomed this partner- One of the things you realise as you ship to failure, but they shared a com- spend time with David Bradburn is mon goal that united them—to create that he’s a boat-building perfectionist, the best boat possible. 24 NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2009 AUSTRALIAN YACHTING Bluewater 450 boat test 24 15/10/09 10:00:22 AM “This boat is so feature-rich with good, well-executed ideas that walking through provides a treasure-trove of ‘I’d like one of those moments’”. This is not to say that the relationship Most boat builders would have said you have that this is not your ‘run of the MAIN IMAGE: The was not without challenges. There was, ‘sorry, mate’, but in characteristic fash- mill’ cruising boat. Little did I know as Bluewater 450 is an for example, the day that Peter called ion, David looked at what Peter wanted I stepped on board that this boat would ocean cruiser with a nice turn of speed. David to tell him that instead of a sugar to do and he realised ‘this could actually have dozens of such indicators. Indeed, scoop stern, he wanted to extend the improve the boat’, so the Bluewater 450 this boat is so feature-rich with good, OPPOSITE PAGE: stern of the boat by 600 mm, have a clas- centre-cockpit was born! well-executed ideas that walking through The Bluewater 450 sic stern with aft lockers and a hydraulic it provides a treasure-trove of ‘I’d like one is available in aft swim platform. Essentially, he wanted of those on my boat’ moments. and centre cockpit to turn an aft cockpit boat into a centre First impressions Don’t get me wrong—this boat is not versions. cockpit boat. No problem if the boat was One of the first things you notice as you perfect. There are a number of things I’d still on the drawing board, but David walk up to Charlie’s Dream is the candy like to change and I’ll point those things was looking out his window at a finished red fibreglass arch over the doghouse. out as we go along, but there’s also a lot hull just out of the mould! It stands out and it’s the first indication to admire about the Bluewater 450. AUSTRALIAN YACHTING NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2009 25 Bluewater 450 boat test 25 15/10/09 10:03:06 AM boat test bluewater 450 “Like most cruising rigs the emphasis is on ease of sail handling and flexibility.” Last things first you to pick up your outboard and drop it There’s so much to like about the Working from the stern forward let me into a purpose-built storage well in the design of this boat. The only complaint lead you through this boat and point aft locker. This is a feature popularised I have with the aft deck set-up is the out some of the features you might ap- by Henri Amel, and here it is popping up way the twin backstays intrude on the preciate. As I mentioned previously on the Bluewater 450. deck area (going through the deck well Peter wanted a hydraulic swim plat- As you move forward of the aft lock- inboard of the rails). My personal pref- form. Push a button and whirrrrr, the ers you’ll notice a couple of chocks and erences would have been to go with a stern door folds down to form a wide a gas bayonet just aft of the cockpit. single adjustable backstay secured to a swim platform. Hidden in the centre of You’re looking at the platform for an chain plate on the stern or backstay with the platform is a spring-loaded stain- outdoor kitchen. When he’s in a calm a bridle that goes to the rails. less steel ladder that makes climbing anchorage Peter sets up a proper gas in and out of the water a breeze. Inside barbecue facing the aft deck with its the minimal garage you’ll find a fresh in-built, undercover seating. Not bad, Ever been in the water shower and storage for the two eh? But wait, it gets even better. Fancy doghouse? LPG gas bottles. a beer to cool your thirst? Lift up the Also at the stern is a custom-designed port side helm seat and the entire lock- I don’t know about you, but I seem to be set of davits with in-built seating and a er has been turned into a refrigerator, constantly in the doghouse. There’s one roof structure that supports three solar complete with 12V cooling plate and a doghouse, however, that I don’t mind panels and shades the stern deck. The drain at the low point. I’ll take a XXXX being in and that’s the ‘hard overhead davit design incorporates pivoting arms and one of those refrigerator lockers as dodger’ type that the Bluewater 450 that swivel far enough inboard to allow well, thank you! has. It provides excellent protection 26 NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2009 AUSTRALIAN YACHTING Bluewater 450 boat test 26 15/10/09 10:03:56 AM MAIN IMAGE: The bimini and davits provide shade, making the boat more pleasant and liveable. OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: The cork deck has excellent thermal and sound insulating qualities and is cooler than teak. The staysail is on a self-tacker. BOTTOM: Fancy a drink? The refrigerator locker under the helmsman’s seat comes complete with a drain at the low point. from the weather whilst still providing headsail sheets, run under deck into the from getting below in the event a wave good visibility forward. Whilst racers doghouse, through Spinlock Ronstan floods the cockpit. would eschew the windage a doghouse jammers and then into purpose-built All in all the cockpit layout is very creates, they rate highly on any offshore self-draining line storage boxes. This good. cruiser’s wish list. design keeps the cockpit clear of tangled One of the other things you notice lines and slip hazards. about this cockpit is there are lockers Charlie’s Dream has seven Ander- And the rig? everywhere. There are generously-sized son winches, two electric 58s for the Like most cruising rigs the emphasis is port and aft lazarettes, two lockers un- primaries, two 40s for the secondar- on ease of sail handling and flexibility. der the helmsman’s seat (one is the re- ies, two 46s on the cabin tops (one of The Bluewater 450 uses a two-spreader, frigerator), two self-draining line storage which is electric for raising the hal- masthead staysail rig with running lockers and a small locker for things like yard) and a 40 at the mast. Between backstays. Peter has opted for a Leisure winch handles. David half-jokes that the electric winch for the halyard and Furl in-boom furling system, which en- Peter went over the plan and any un- the Leisure furl boom, raising and ables him to have a fully battened main used spaces, no matter how small, were trimming the headsail would be easy for better sailing performance. The turned into storage lockers. One look for the cruising couple. boom is supported by a spring-loaded at Peter confirms he wouldn’t have had I did find the companionway access vang and there’s a Hutton boom brake it any other way. “You can never have a bit restricted. The entry to the com- to prevent those accidental gybes.

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